The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community
May 14, 2016 - September 25, 2016
Explore Kéré’s designs, including his Colorscape installation in the Skylit Atrium.
View Slideshow >>The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community
May 14, 2016 - September 25, 2016
Explore architect Francis Kéré’s innovative designs in this site-specific installation.
This exhibition sheds light on Francis Kéré’s inventive approach to building. Born in Burkina Faso and based in Berlin, Kéré integrates traditional knowledge and craft skills into innovative and sustainable buildings worldwide. In many of his projects, he maximizes local materials and community participation to reduce costs and ecological impact. This exhibition offers a look at some of his award-winning designs within an colorful interactive environment.
Watch a time-lapse of Kéré’s Colorscape installation >>
Multimedia
Francis Kéré’s Colorscape
Selected Kéré Projects
Primary School, Gando, Burkina Faso, 2001
To ensure natural and sustainable cooling in an extremely hot region, the roof over the classrooms is elevated from the interior construction. A perforated clay ceiling allows for maximum ventilation.
Opera Village, Laongo, Burkina Faso, begun 2009
Originally conceived by artist Christoph Schlingensief as an art project, Opera Village was refocused to provide services for residents after a devastating flood. It now offers housing, a school, and a clinic.
Centre de Santé et de Promotion Sociale, Laongo, Burkina Faso, 2014
The scattered picture-frame windows of this health center take into consideration the varying vantage points of patients and visitors of all ages—whether standing, seated, or bedridden.
Francis Kéré
About Francis Kéré
“For me, architecture is about process, experimentation, and teamwork.”—Francis Kéré
As the first son of the head of Gando, his home village in Burkina Faso, Kéré was the only child allowed to attend school in a large city. He later attended the Technical University of Berlin, where he earned a diploma in architecture and engineering. While still a student, he established a charitable foundation, Bricks for Gando, and began to raise money to build a school there.
In Gando, Kéré combined traditional Burkinabe building techniques with modern engineering methods. In 2005 he founded his Berlin office and has since garnered acclaim for his work in Western Africa, Europe, and North America. He is the recipient of the 2014 Schelling Architecture Foundation Award, the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, and the BSI Swiss Architectural Award, among others.